If your PC has been infected with a virus or any sort of malware, the first thought that would come to your mind so as to rid yourself off this problem is probably to use any free online virus checkers or trial anti-virus software. While online virus checkers can be effective in some cases, in many others it is nothing but a waste of time. Why? Simply because there are thousands of companies who are doing fake promotion of products in the name of selling Online Virus Scanners. You must get one thing for clear; nothing comes for free.These so-called “free online virus checkers” will add to your problem instead of aiding it.

What is the solution? The truth be told, there are many antivirus software whose offline version (trial version under most circumstances) is better than any online virus scanner. The online virus scanners can potentially harm your computer. Offline antivirus tools, on the other hand, do not require the use of Internet and can keep your PC safe against various types of viruses. So, without waiting further, let us see the advantages of using offline antivirus programs over the various virus scanners that are available online.

Why is an Offline Antivirus Better?

No Internet required

This is perhaps the primary reason there is such a huge demand for offline virus checkers. Those who do not have Internet access either believe that they won’t get infected by a virus or when they find out their PC is infected, they choose to ignore the problem. But, there are many offline antiviruses available that can remove such harmful programs from the hard drive without even having to connect to the Internet. These software can perform all the necessary tasks to eliminate viruses from your PC and thus ensure smooth performance of your system. You will, of course, need internet access to keep your antivirus updated with the latest threats.

One-time installation

Most Offline Antiviruses are ‘install and forget’ type. This means that you have to install this software once to keep your system safe and secure. These antiviruses contain the necessary tools and features that are enough to keep viruses and other harmful programs at bay while not having to worry about installing different updates at frequent intervals. The one-time installation provides ease of use that many online scanners lack. There is also no issue of encountering pop-ups or unwanted advertisement when using an offline version as Internet connectivity is limited or totally absent. People who do not have access to the Internet are greatly benefited by this one-time installation aspect. Moreover, if you use an online malware checker, it might install several programs each time it is run.

More effective

Because, Online Virus Scanners are regularly maintained and updated by the hosting companies, the chances of offline versions coming to more use are pretty high. It is because of the simple reason that once you eliminate the risk of receiving the virus from the Internet, you are left with sources like an infection through the use of USB drives, external hard drives, or CD/DVDs. The viruses that you are likely to encounter as far as these sources are concerned are not as harmful as those present on the Internet. Moreover, online antiviruses are often denied access to system files and folders, so if a virus or malware exists somewhere between your system files or folders, even the best online virus scanner may not be able to detect it. So, an offline antivirus scanner from a reputed brand can take care of your problems without any issues.

Customizability

This is another benefit of offline virus scanners over their online counterparts as there are tons of features that can be tweaked and modified to best suit your requirements. For example, there are options for setting auto scanning, auto virus removal, timely scanning, and choosing between full system scan or just scanning for viruses in system files. This is just the tip of the iceberg as every reputed antivirus company provides a host of other customization options that ensures you never miss out on an important task and do not have to worry about timely updates ever again.

Free to Use (Tip inside)

Most antivirus companies provide a trial period for their program or allow users to experience their offline antivirus feature free of cost. This serves as a promotion for the company, which in turn benefits a user who does not want to, or cannot afford to pay for a licensed antivirus software. All one has to do is select ‘Free use’ mode to enable full functionality of offline protection against any threats that may present itself through the use of pen drives, or other external sources. This is one of the reasons people prefer to use an offline antivirus.

Tip: The trial usually lasts for 30 to 90 days after which you can either purchase the full version. You can alternatively uninstall it and then reinstall it again to get additional 30 or 90 days depending on the software you are using. I use Eset Nod32 which offers me 30 days of free use.

Ease of use

Using an online virus scanner can prove to be a tedious task, and there are thousands of companies advertising themselves as the most legitimate one available in the market. As it often happens, if you’re not careful while choosing a proper online virus scanner, you may end up downloading other viruses in exchange. So, your problems will be aggravated and eventually go beyond control. Offline Antiviruses eliminates the risk of more viruses as there is no involvement of the Internet in anyway. Once you have chosen to use a trial version of a reputed antivirus, rest assured your PC will be safe from a limited type of external threats.

No hidden cost

Many a times, companies that offer to provide free online virus scanning and elimination pose to be lending free service but in reality, that doesn’t happen. On various websites, they advertise themselves as free virus checkers which soon reveals itself as a paid program that only provides the future of virus checking for free but requires you to pay to eliminate detected viruses. An offline antivirus software functions as promised and require you to pay nothing at all to use the program to its full potential. There is no question of incurring extra cost to keep your PC safe.

Better interface

This shouldn’t come as a surprise as almost everyone is aware of the fact that dedicated antivirus programs have a better interface and customizing options than those present in online virus checkers. This is because Offline Antiviruses are made available to be used as a dedicated program by installing it on a system rather than directly from our website. So, these antiviruses are easier to use as well as programmable to offer various benefits. It is easier to navigate through an assortment of features, and use the best ones available at disposal and suited for the task in hand.

No worries about updates

Paid antiviruses have the feature of automatic upgrades to protect against the latest viruses. But if you aren’t connected to the internet, you probably do not need this feature because not connecting to the Internet ensures that your system is not exposed to advanced and more upgraded forms of viruses. The equation is simple – if you are not connected to the Internet, there is very little need for Online Virus Scanners because the offline version would be enough to keep your PC safe. You may however be affected by new viruses that were discovered after you installed antivirus on your system. Moreover, untimely automatic updates are extremely unnerving as they can start at any time while you’re in the middle of your work and thus slow down your internet speeds considerably.

No unwanted advertisements

This is one of the greatest reasons why people go for Offline Antiviruses as online antiviruses often come with heaps of advertisements that are extremely annoying and hard to ignore. What’s worse is the fact that these advertisements cannot be removed and often trick you into clicking them under false pretenses. Once you click on such false advertisements, you are taken directly to an external website that burdens you with more information about various other software. This is a completely unnecessary area that Online Virus Scanners can get you to. Advertising is slowly becoming a menace for Internet users as it is present everywhere and under a disguise of a useful tool.

So, now you know about the various benefits of using offline antiviruses over online virus scanners that promise you the world, yet fail to deliver simple virus scans and removal facilities. By using an offline version or a trial version of a reputed antivirus program, you are more likely to save your system from various types of malware and viruses than you would with the use of online scanners. Everything being said, there are also some additional precautions that you can take to enable Offline Antiviruses to perform to the best of their potential.

For example, you can keep your version of Windows updated to the latest release so that the security features that comes with the package is automatically installed on your system. Whatever the reason may be for not using online virus checkers, you can most certainly do better if you incorporate some simple tricks as well as obtain precautions to protect your PC against harmful virus and malware. Moreover, consider updating your antivirus regularly or you can set your antivirus to update itself automatically without you having to interfere.